MMA Fighter Brian Stann Knocks Out Opponent, Then Stops Fight [VIDEO]

Brian Stann knocked out Alessio Sakara, but motioned to the referee that his opponent was unable to defend himself instead of pummeling him further. Exceptional move, Brian Stann.

UFC middleweight Brian Stann did something on Saturday night that was admirable. During a UFC bout, Stann knocked out his opponent, Alessio Sakara, with some short elbows. Noticing that his opponent was unable to defend himself, Stann stopped striking Sakara and motioned to the referee that the fight was over. That's a fantastic move.

I've been saying on "The Noe Show" for a while, that the objective of "defending yourself at all times" is great in theory, but often times, unrealistic. This is especially true in mixed martial arts where plenty of contact occurs on the ground. In boxing, a fighter typically falls down once he's knocked out. That's where the contact ends. In MMA, with so much contact occurring on the ground, it's more likely for a fighter who's knocked out to continue getting pummeled.

This is where an opponent should use some discretion. It doesn't do any good for a fighter to beat his opponent senseless once he's clearly unable to continue. UFC president Dana White and UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon "Bones" Jones agree. Dana White tweeted, "Brian Stann is one of the classiest people on Earth!" Jon Jones said the win was "very classy" and "good for the sport." I completely agree. Hopefully, more fighters will be like Brian Stann and refrain from taking cheap shots.

Brian Noe is the Program Director at 104.5 The Team, ESPN Radio in Albany, NY. Brian also hosts “The Noe Show” weekdays from 1-3 pm ET on WTMM.